The last thing people going through difficult times or in pain want to hear is that they should be patient.
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And now, as the current war with Iran has already gone on twice as long as the 12 Day War last June, counseling patience to an Israeli public whose lives have been severely disrupted – and who are not known as a particularly patient people – may not seem the most constructive advice.
Yet it is precisely what former National Security Council head Yaakov Amidror, now a fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, counseled during a webinar this week.
Opportunities that may not come again
Amidror argued that Israel is facing opportunities – in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza – that are unlikely to return in the future.
“Therefore,” he said, “we have to equip ourselves with something we don’t have: patience. Don’t expect quick results because there are no quick results when you are attacking and trying to hit hard a country with 92 million people, which is 60 times bigger than Israel. Nothing happens fast.”
Not only should the nation not expect quick results – victory now – but it should also realize that not every day will bring with it dramatic news of earth-shattering military accomplishments. Which doesn’t mean military objectives aren’t being met; they are, but not every one is dramatic.
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Had Saturday night’s ballistic missile attacks on Dimona and Arad resulted in dozens of fatalities rather than “only” injuries, the public reaction might have been very different. Some would have demanded an even more forceful response; others might have called for winding down the war, arguing that the returns were diminishing.
Since February 28, fewer than 20 people have been killed by the hundreds of drones and missiles fired at Israel – tragic as each loss is – and this has not led to widespread public opposition.
As Amidror himself acknowledged, Israelis have shown a considerable degree of patience despite the difficulties and disruptions of the current war. One reason is that the number of fatalities has not been overwhelming.
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The equation is straightforward: The more people heed the directives, the fewer the casualties; the fewer the casualties, the greater the public’s patience. And the greater the patience, the more time the military has to continue degrading Iran as a force capable of threatening the Jewish state.